The first evaluation of the European Ports Association on the measures envisaged for the decarbonisation of the sector which are included in the proposal presented today by the European Commission for the revision of the trading system EU emission allowances is not positive, even if The European Sea Ports Organisation recognises the efforts of the European Sea Ports Organisation. Commission to address the problem of the relocation of carbon emissions and economic activities created from the current framework of the system ( of 17 July 2026). ESPO fears, in fact, that the proposals could generate new critical issues and believes that a full assessment of the measures to clarify their impact on the a level playing field between EU ports.

An appreciation was expressed by ESPO for the measures envisaged by the Commission to reduce elusive port calls for ships through the modification of the list of neighbouring transport ports and pointed out that this issue had been raised with insistence by the association in recent years. In particular, ESPO considers the new proposals an important recognition by EU Commission that the current system has created distortions in competition between EU ports and ports non-EU neighbors.

ESPO, on the other hand, has expressed firm opposition to any measure, such as the one proposed by the Commission, which extends the scope of application of the EU ETS Maritime system to certain categories of ships of lower tonnage. Noting that clear signs of a return of goods to road transport caused by the current EU ETS, the European Ports Association noted that lowering the threshold for the application of the ETS by 5,000 gross tonnage to those of 400 GRT would go to the own advantage of the road transport sector, contrary to the spirit of European politics, which is aimed at enhancing short sea shipping.

Finally, ESPO stressed the importance of reviewing the proposal once reached an agreement within the International Maritime Organization on the regulatory framework for net-emission maritime transport zero.